Ironic uses of group communication technology: Evidence from meeting transcripts and interviews with group decision support system users

Abstract

This research examined unexpected uses of group decision support systems (GDSSs) related to three key communication characteristics of that technology: anonymity, equality of participation, and equality of influence. Using Adaptive Structuration Theory (AST) as a heuristic framework for exploring ironic appropriations of technology, this study included both interview data from users and transcripts from actual group meetings. The results suggest several ironic uses related to anonymous communication (including overt efforts to determine another's identity both during and after meetings, signing of comments, sensory evidence used to determine a comments’ source, and actual attributions of a comment's source—as well as extreme efforts to preserve anonymity that also go against the overall spirit of the technology). Several ironic uses relevant to influence equality were also noted; however, the data revealed very little evidence of ironic use related to participation equality (only social loafing was detected). Based on these findings, an expanded framework for ironic uses of communication technology is proposed.